Gyroscope



Sept. 29, 1942. G, wngscq 2,297,274

' GYROSCOPE Filed May 27, 1939 Patented $epta29 1942.

FFlCE e Grnoscorr: Guido Wiinsch, Berlin-Wannsee, Germany; vest v ed in the Allen Property Custodian Application May 27, 193 9, Serial No. 276,243

In Germany May 27, 1938 2 Claims. .(Cl'. 74-5 This invention relates to instruments having a universally mounted gyroscope and more particularly to gyroscopic direction indicators for aircraft. In order to render such gyroscopic in struments insensitive to acceleration forces the gyro rotor is suspended with neutral equilibrium.-

For this reason, before being set in operation the gyroscope has an arbitra y position and therefore must be brought into its normal position before the instrument is ready for use.

vented from taking an arbitrary position when it has stopped, whilst on theother hand the advantages of suspending it in neutral equilibrium are retained during operation.

. The mass serving to eliminate the pendulosity is shii'tably arranged on the gyro rotor carrier,

' as a hood closing the top -of-the rotor case which Air Jets, which are controlled for example by pendulum shutters provided .on the gyro rotor case, are conveniently used for erecting the gyro The erecting of the gyroscope takes a rather long time, this disadvantage being Particularly apparent'in the case of electrically operated gyroscopes,

if the airjets are produced by the rotation of the gyro rotor, as is generally the case.-

Whereas in pneumatically driven gyroscopes the regulating air jets already reach their full eflect while the gyro rotor is starting up, so that.

owing to thestill little spin the gyroscope is erected comparatively quickly, the air for precessing the gyro rotor which is produced inan electrically driven gyroscope by the turbine efs feet of the rotor, becomes effective at arelativeis lifted by the air pressure-produced in the ca I when the gyroscope is set in operation.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a vertical section through an electrically driven y yro-vertical. t rotor and maintaining it in the desired position.

This arrangement is principally also adapted to, maintain in its proper position a gyro rotor -having a normally-horizontal axis of rotation.

The vertical axis of rotation or spindle It of the gyro rotor-[I I ismounted in ball bearings I! in the gyro rotor case It. The latter is mounted to pivot on horizontal pins I, in bearings it in. the Gardan' ring I 8, which in turn'is carried by a shaft (not shown) lying perpendicular to the plane of the paper.

1y high speed of the gyroscope only. As a resuit, the gyroscope starts up, in the position it occupies fortuitously, and is gradually brought into its normal position which, on account'of the high spin, occurs fairly slowly.

. Within the flywheel massof the rotor ii'there is disposed a short-circuit armature--61 of knownconstruction which is set in rotation by a rotating field produced in the stator 88. Turbine blades 31 to which; air passes through orifices. 32 in'therotor. case i3/serveto produce the erecting g air jets. The compressed" air passes by way ofa pipe 3| to the pendulum-controlled erecting device ii.

In order to adJust the gyro rotor before it is. started up the known directional and horizon gyroscopes are provided with manually operable setting or caging devices. Apart from the fact that the operation of these devices is burdensome to the pil6t,.the setting of-the instrument remains dependent on the position-of the aircraft,

which as is known, generally differs considerably; before the-start from the normal flying position. The object of the invention is to provide means whereby the gyroscope is held in its correct position before the instrument is put intouse, without its responding directly to accelerating forces i during :operationas is the case for example in .1

the previously used gyroscopic pendulumswhich execute spiral precessional oscillations owing to their pendulosityt According to the invention a pendulosity maintaining the gyro rotor in its normal position as long as the instrument is not "The setting device possesses four orifices II displaced by 90 relative to bne another, whlch are screened alternately by pendulum shutters 34. "when the axis of rotation of the yroscope differs from the'v'ertical, -the reactive forces of the air jets issuing'from the orifices 33 cause precessional moments, which returnsaid axis back into its proper position one-straight line.- i

The automatic displacement ofthe centre of gravity when the gyroscope isset in operation is in use is eliminated by the automatic rising vol V a mass when the gyroscope is set in operation, so that during operation the gyroscope is in neutral equilibrlum'., In this-way thesvrq on 18 P elected by theshifting of a hood 38 fitting on the periphery of the cover. 38 of the. rotorcase and thus closing the top ofthe .The air' generatedby the rotorbla'des 3! passes through oriilces 38 in thecase cover "underthe hood It,

' -When the gyro rotor is stationary the hood It rests on the case cover 39, but on account of the large effective dreait is raised at a comparatively low speed of thegyroscope to such an extent that the screw'ring l0 fitted on thehood 36 abuts against the projecting cover 39 as illustrated.

The state of neutral equilibrium can be adjusted very exactly by the screw' ring it.

11' the neutral equilibrium were to exist in the state 61 rest also, the gyro rotor would take up an arbitrary position before being set in operation and the erection of the rotor spin axis I. would proceed very slowly, because the air Jets produced by the rotation of the rotor Ii have a very weak eitect at low speeds oi revolution. As

the speed of revolution increases thespin of the gyroscope becomes more effective, in consequence whereof the instrument may not be ready for use until'a long time'after' the gyro rotor.

has achieved its working sp'eed. Owing to the pendulums 20 hanging'down when the rotor H 1 is stationary, the axis of rotation II is prevented.

advantageously in various combinations and subcombinations.

What is claimed is: l. A universally mounted gyroscope compris- '25 duced by the rotation of ing a case, a spindle rotatably mounted within said case, a rotor attached to saldsp 8 P- port ,ior pivoting said case about a first axis at right angles to said spindle, said support bein itself pivoted about a second axis at right angle's to said spindle and said first axis, a flanged hood resting loosely on said case, abutment means on the flange of said hood adapted to engage a projecting part of said case, and means for delivering to the underside of said flanged hood compressed air producedby the rotation of said rotor.

2. A universally mounted gyroscope comprising a case, a spindle rotatably mounted within said case, a rotor attached to said spindle, a support for pivoting said case about a first axis at right angles to said spindle, said support being itself pivoted about a second axis at right angles to said spindle and said first axis, a flanged hood resting loosely on said case, a screw-threaded flanged ring screwed onto the flange of said hood and adapted to engage with a projecting part of said case, and means for delivering to the underside of said flanged h'ood compressed air prosaid rotor.

GUIDO WUN' 'scrr. 

